Printing and retaining device



July 12, 1960 Filed Sept. 4. 1956 L. H. CHEESEMAN 2,944,483

PRINTING AND RETAINING DEVICE 3 SheetsSheet.l

INVENTOR.

LESLIE H. EHEESEMFIN y' 12, 19 0' L. H. C'HEESEMAN 2,944 3 PRINTING AND RETAINING DEVICE Filed Sept. 4, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 w INVENTOR.

' LESLIE H EHEESENFIN July 12, 1960 H. CHEESEMAN 2,944,483

PRINTING AND RETAINING DEVICE Filed Sept. 4. 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 nvmvrox LESLIE H. CHEESEMAN 2,944,425 a PRINTING AND RETAINING DEVICE Leslie H. Cheeseman, Rickmansworth, England, assignol' to Addressograph-Multigraph Corporation, Wilmington,

Del., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 4, 1956, Ser. No. 607,862 Claims priority, application Great Britain Mar. 28, 1956 1 Claim. .(Cl. 101-368) This invention relates to a device for printing information upon a plurality of different forms'and for alfordmg a means for storing a number of those forms ata common location. 7

In many modern hospitals and clinics, as a patient 1s passed from one department to another for examination and treatment, a number'of different forms or record instruments are made out relating to the patient, a sig-' nificant part of the information on the forms being common to ,all the records for onepatient. I Customarily,

. Patented July 12, 960.

ICC-

..in which an initially indeterminate number of different record instruments, each bea'ringsimilar information relating to a given subject and each bearing additional dis a similar information relating to the same subject, are maintained. The inventive device comprises a folder, envelope, or the like having front and rear covers between which the record instruments may be inserted to afford means for keeping the .records together during processing and/or for subsequently filing those instruments. The device further includes means, comprising a series of type characters indicative of the aforesaid information common to each of the instruments and projecting externally of one of the covers,.for printing the repetitive'information in substantially identical form upon each record instrument as required.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and arev illustrated in the accompanying drawings which, by way of illustration, show a preferred embodiment of the present invention and the principles thereof and what I now consider. to be the best mode in which I have contemplated applying these principles. Other'embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may he used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present inventionand thepurview of the appended claims.

. 'iln'the drawingsz Q F 'g. l'is a perspective view of a record-holding, and

printing device constructed. in accordance with one em-I bodiment of the invention;

date 'of admission, occupation of the patient, and/ 017f other pertinent data, together with the name of the phy sician .in charge of the patients treatment. [All of. thls information has heretofore been copied by hand onto each of the forms made out; during the examinationand treatment of the patient in the hospital and, as canbereadily appreciated, an error on any of. the forms may lead to confusion in the patients record and represents a potential source of danger to the pa to thehospital clerical staff.

There are other similar record keeping systems in which an" initially indeterminate number of different forms ,or other record instruments each including some. information Common to all of the. forms and individually further information different from that 'onthe other in-f struments must be maintained; For example, in. some stock-control systems, 'in which the stock is 'clzissified for individual identification; groups of the stock control forms identification required for each record; In these incut as well as confusion.

- hmgeof the folder. One of'these portions comprises a front cover 3 :and'the other portion forms aback cover Fig. 2 is a plan view .ofthe device of. Fig. l'infully open condition; I 1 or g V v f Fig. 3 is a plan view, on an enlarged scale,.of a printing plate which comprises a part of the device of Fig.1; Fig.4 is a perspective view of a printing machine which may be'incorporated in a. record-keeping system which utilizes the device of Fig. 1; and I Fig. 5 isa perspective view of the record-holding and printing device of Figs. 1 and 2 at an intermediate stage of construction.

Theillustrative embodiment of the invention shown in Fig.1.includesafolder 1 which comprises a sheet of cardboard or vsirnilar'material folded into two portions of approximately equalsize, the fold line 2 forming the '4 for the folder. The front-cover3 .of the folder. 1 has may include a substantiallamount "of information which i is repetitive in nature in addition to theqindividual item a rectangular portion 3A atthe top left hand corner cut away from the remainder of the front cover. The rectangularpoiftion 3A is formed by making a first cut-along the dotted line 5 'extending'frorn thetopedgefi of the front cover 3.perpendicularly thereto. and a second cutstances, as in the case of hospital records, humanerror in copying the repetitive information onto the form's inay result in confusionof the records and may "substantially f lessen their value.-

A principal object of the invention, therefore, is a new i along 'the'line 7 extending perpendicularly from .the first cut 5 to the foldlinez (see Fig. 2).- Preferably, no 5 cut. is made along the fold line Zt'osever the rectangular and improved printing and record; holding device which" assures accurate reproduction of information onfa' plurality of record instruments and at the same time affords a convenient means for filing those instruments.

-It is another object of the invention to combinelrecording and filing functions in a single device in "a manner which inherently reduces the possibility of error'in the records. 6

" A further object of the invention is a printing 'and record holding device and system which are inherently economical and susceptible to use by relatively untrained personnel. V

Accordingly, the invention is'directed to a printingand record-holding device for use in a record keeping system t part 3A from thefolder 1 and the rectangular part 3A, 1s, 1n fact, duringuse of the; device, secured flat against. the. corresponding portionhof .back .cover 4. The -cutaway portionthusformed'in the front cover-3 is pref- I erably enlarged by removal of an additional portion 9 from the folder cover 3. to'afforda slot or aperture adjag;

cent the rectangular cornerportion 3A when the folder is. in folded position; asindicated in Fig. 1. A complemental slot 10 is preferably formed in the back cover 4. and, asjshown in Fig. 1,. is in alignment with the cutaway area 9 when the folder 1 is closed; a

A printing plate 11, preferably of rectangular form and V substantiallysimilar to printing platesemployed in the 1. m y;. tqt amp li br ca d .59 sheet metal; .1

pi-inting of addresses and in credit-verification systems, is secured to corner portion 3Aof the folder. Rrintingplatci 3 The printing plate, which is best shown in Fig. 3, includes a pair of short tongues 12 which extend perpendicularly from the central portions of the shorter sides 14 of the plate, the opposite sides 13 of the two tongues 'being ap proximately parallel to each other. and to the longer sides.

of the printing plate. Preferably, the free ends .15 of tongues 12 extendparallel to the shorter sides 14'of the plate. A hole 17 may be drilled or punched through one of the tongues 12 for a purpose set forth hereinafter. The plate 11 is embossed with type characters representative of'the required repetitive information common to a series of record instruments, as indicated generally by reference numeral 40 in Fig. 3.

After the desired information has been embossed in the printing plate, the plate is secured to the rectangular portion 3A offolder 1 with the top edge 18 of the plate preferably aligned with the top free edge 3E of the folder section 3A. The folder section SA has two apertures formed therein at the locations indicated by reference numerals 19 and 20 in Fig. preferably, apertures 19 and 20 are spaced from each other by a distance slightly larger than the distance separating the shorter sides 14 of printing plate 11 but slightly smaller than the distance between the free ends of printing plate tongues 12. Two corresponding apertures 19A and A (Fig. 5) are formed in the portion of back cover 4 ofthe folder corresponding to front cover section 3A. In mounting plate 11 on folder 1, one tongue 12 is passed through the aperture 19 and through the corresponding aperture 19A in back cover 4, whereas the other tongue 12 is passed through aperture 20 and the corresponding aperture 20A in the back cover 4. In order to pass the tongues 12 through these apertures it may be necessary to bow plate ll'slightly. Once the tongues of the printing plate have been passed through the apertures the plate 11 is straightened and remains secured to the folder 1. The printing plate can, of course, be easily removed from the folder 1 simply by bending the printing plate slightly to permit removal of the tongues 12 from the apertures.

For printing purposes, the record-holding and printing device described above is used in conjunction with a conventional hand-operated printing machine such as that shown in Fig. 4. The particular hand printer illustrated in Fig. 4 includes a platform 16 supported upon a base 21. A platen 22 is pivotally mountedon base 21 and includes the usual operating knob 23-. Platen 22 cooperates with an inked ribbon 19A that is passed over an anvil (not shown) supported by the base 21. The ribbon extends between a reel mountedat one side of the anvil and a bob-w bin disposed at the opposite side of the anvil in accordance with conventional practice, the reel and bobbin not being shown in the drawing. During use of the printing machine, pivotal movement of the platen 22 advances the ribbon from the reel onto the bobbin in the usualmanner, I

the ribbon-advancing mechanismnot being illustrated in.

the drawing inasmuch as'it' forms" no part of the present invention. 7 A frame 24 of sheet material covers the edges of the ribbon 19A; frame 24 is supported by spring strip lugs 25 which slope downwardly from the frame.

24at a slight angle, the free ends of'the spring lugs 25 being engaged in a pair of grooved members 26 supported upon the base 21. The printing machine further includes a pair of'horizontal guideways 2.7 and 28 which may be utilized to guide the two free side' edges 3B and 3C of section 3A of the folder cover and the corresponding edges of the related section of back cover 4 into position in the printing machine between the ribbon 19A and the anvil of the machine. A pair. of positioning bars 29" are supported on the machine adjacent frame 24, the positioning bars being mounted on a pair'of rods Bil-which are adjustably secured in mountingblocks 31. These positioning bars are utilized'for positioning 'the'edges of a record instrument 32 upon the' ma chine duringthe printing operation.

Whena recofd 'ins'tfument"orformf32 is printed with V the information carried by printing plate 11; the plate 11 along with folder section' 3Afand the corresponding section of the back cover 4 that is to the left of slot 10 (Figs. 1 and 2), is inserted between the ribbon 19A and the anvil of the printing machine with the printing plate 11 uppermost, the position of folder 1 during the printing operation being generally indicated in Fig. 4 by phantom outline 1A. At one side of frame 24, the ribbon 19 passes downwardly over the left hand side 3C of the section of the folder upon which the printing plate is mounted. At the other side of frame 24, the ribbon passes downwardly over the right hand side 3B of folder section 3Athrough the space afforded by slots 9 and 10 in the record folder. The form 32 is then appropriately placedface down over the frame 24 with two of its edges contacting the positioning bars 29. The. operating knob 23 is then pressed downwardly to bring the platen 22 into contact with the back of the form 32 and to press the latter, together with the frame 24, downwardly against the spring action of the lugs 25. This downward movement brings the record instrument into contact with the ribbon 19A and, upon further movement of the operating knob, the ribbon and form are pressed against the printing plate 11 to make an impression of the information carried by the printing plate upon the form.

Preferably, that part 3D of the front cover 3 which is located to the right of section 3A is imprinted with the identification information carried by printing plate 11. For example, a strip 33 of paper may be imprinted with the'req'uisite information and may then be glued or otherwise bonded to the front cover in the position indicated in Fig. 1-. i

..The inventive concept is not restricted to use of a folder structure as described above in connection with Figs. 1

and 2. It is equally applicable to other convenient means The record-printing and retaining device described above is of particularly useful application inhospitals.

In an individual hospital, of. course, one central mech anism for embossing the plates 11 is. provided and each laboratory or other department is provided with a printing machine such as-that shown-in Fig. 4. As a patient isltransferred from one department to another for exami-- nation and treatment, the repetitive information carried by printing plate 11. is imprinted upon each of the many.

different record instruments required by the various de-' partments, thereby preventing human error in this por-- tion of the recording operation to the greatest extent possible. The embossing and printing apparatus required for operation'ofthe system is relatively simple and. economical and may be readily amortized out of savings efiected in the time otherwise required for hospital personnel to fill out the individual record forms.

-In addition, where a metal printingplate of the type described above is utilized as the printingelement in the device, in the event of death of the patient the plate 11: may be removed from the folder and attached to the patient for identification purposes by means of a wire or string passed through the hole 17 in the plate. As

. indicated above, the invention is not restricted to use inhospitals, but may be advantageously employed in any record-keeping system in which an initially indeterminate number of different record instruments each including some common information must be maintained.

Hence, while I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be .understood that these are capable of variation and modification, I

and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth, but desire to. avail myself of such-changes ing and alterations" as fall within the purview of the follow- I claim:

In a record-keeping system in which an initially indeterminate number of difierent record instruments; each bearing similar information relating. to a given subject and additional dissimilar information relating to the same subject, are to be maintained, a printing and record-holding device comprising a relatively thin, flexible folder, envelope, or the like having front and rear covers between which said record instruments may be inserted to afford a means for filing said instruments at a common location, said front and rear covers having complemental slots formed therein at a predetermined location with respect to one corner of said covers to afford a pair of complemental printing sections each having three free edges, one of said edges being common to said two printing sections and comprising a fold edge of said covers, and means, comprising a printing plate embossed f to form a series of type characters indicativeof the aforesaid information common -to each of said instruments for printing that information in substantially identical form 20 from opposite sides thereof through complemental apertures in said two printing sections of said covers to fasten said two printing sections to each other and releasably affix said printing plate to said folder.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,165,593 Hand Dec. 28, 1915 1,170,434 Engel Feb. 1, 1916 1,208,269 Belknap Dec. 12, 1916 1,818,830 Van Dusen Aug. 11, 1931 1,820,090 Polkosnik 1 Aug. 25, 1931 2,099,482 Hill Nov. 16, 1937 2,102,787 Christensen Dec. 21,1937 I 2,198,992 Elliott Apr. 30, 1040 1 2,532,365 Johnson Dec. '5, 1950 2,573,570 Howard Oct. 30, 1951 2,674,940 Carney Apr. 13, 1954 2,675,170 Sebestat Apr. 13, 1954 v 'FOREIGN PATENTS 627,116 Great Britain July 28, 1949 

